WWT20 | Collective approach can only win us the cup, states Harmanpreet Kaur
Harmanpreet Kaur has stated that her side will look to target consistent collective efforts instead of relying on just a couple of players to deliver the goods when it takes on Australia in the T20 World Cup. India have never reached the final in any of the six previous editions of the tournament.
The Indian Women's Team have flattered to deceive when it comes to the T20 world cups as they have failed to reach the final in any of the six previous editions of the tournament with a semi-final spot two years ago being the third time they managed to reach the knockout stages. A lack of performance at crunch moments and relying certain key indivisuals has usually been the cause of disappointment. But the winds of change are about to blow ahead as India's captain Harmanpreet Kaur has said that her side will look to target consistent collective efforts instead of relying on just a couple of players to deliver the goods when it takes on Australia in the T20 World Cup here on Friday.
"If you want to do well as a team, you need to come up together and do well for the side. Through past tournaments, we have learned that you cannot depend on just one or two players to win the game for you. If you want to win a big tournament like the World Cup, you have to come up as a team and that's what we're looking to do," said Harmanpreet Kaur as quoted by Times of India.
The current side's average age is 22.8 and Kaur expects the youngsters to make a mark against the defending champions, who have clinched the trophy four times. The Indian team's reliance on the big-hitting Smriti Mandhana and Kaur to do the job with the bat has been criticized, most recently during the tri-series against Australia and England. The captain has said that with sprightly teenagers like Jemimah Rodrigues and Shafali Verma in the ranks, the team has been "mentally very fresh".
"...they don't know what type of pressure they have to face. They love playing cricket, that's why they are on this site and they are definitely enjoying this moment. As a woman cricketer, we love these moments, we missed the coverage in the past and so the players are enjoying it. We're really enjoying this, as a cricketer you miss these things when you don't play,” she said.
Few challenges in world cricket are greater than playing four-time champions Australia on their home turf in the opening game of the Women’s T20 World Cup. But Kaur’s side may still revel in plenty of support of their own, with Sydney Showground expected to be awash with a fair share of blue and gold jerseys in the crowd. With a packed house in store, the captain is calling on her side to enjoy the moment – acknowledging just how far women’s cricket has come since the first edition in 2009. Kaur said her teammates are also quite enthused by the prospect of playing in front of a packed stadium.
"When you're playing at home you have more pressure. Australia may have that but they are a very good side, everyone is doing well. We all know that Indian fans love cricket, and wherever it is happening, they love to go and watch. That's what we are expecting in this game. We love when India fans come and support us and that is a big positive sign for us," she added.
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